Railway rail-fastening clip and assembly

ABSTRACT

A resilient rail-fastening clip has a first straight portion (11) for locating the clip in a clip anchoring device (2) when the clip is in use, a second bent portion (12), a third heel portion (13), a fourth bend portion (14) and a fifth toe portion (15). When viewed such that lower most points of the first and fifth portions (11 and 15) of the clip lie in a horizontal plane, proceeding from the first portion (11), the second portion (12) appears to bend up out of that plane towards and then away from a vertical plane passing through the fifth portion (15). The clip (1) is used in an assembly including a baseplate (2) having a non-vertical stop (21d) on its shoulder (21) up which the clip (1) slides during installation until brought to rest through friction at a desired height above the rail (3).

The present invention relates to a railway rail-fastening clip andassembly.

A railway rail fastening assembly supplied by the applicants and used inparts of the U.S.A. comprises a rolled steel baseplate, secured to awooden sleeper by screwspikes, and rail clips, known as "e-clips" anddisclosed in GB-A-1510224. The rail clips concerned have a firststraight centre leg portion, a bent second portion, a third heelportion, a fourth portion and a fifth toe portion. When the clip isplaced in an orientation such that the longitudinal axes of the thirdand fifth portions lie in the same horizontal plane, the third and fifthportions appear (when the clip is viewed from above or below thathorizontal plane) to lie on opposite sides respectively of the saidfirst portion. In this orientation both the bent second portion and thebent fourth portion of the clip are arched such that they each appear tohave a rising part followed by a falling part. Respective shouldershaving tunnels for receiving the centre leg of such clips are provided,on either side of a rail seat area, by deforming the rolled steel plate.Load from the rail is distributed through the baseplate to the woodensleeper.

Although the performance of such assemblies has been generallysatisfactory, the applicants have found that in the locations,particularly on curves, where the assembly is used, the forces to whichthe assembly is subjected can break the baseplate, especially in thearea of the baseplate around the tunnel. When loaded, there is also atendency for the portions of the baseplate outboard of the tunnels tobend upwards relative to the portion under the rail, owing to theflexibility of the baseplate in the areas around the tunnels, so thatthe load is not well distributed across the full width of the plate. Theapplicants have also found that damage can occur to the rail clips andbaseplates of such assemblies during train derailments, and thatdisplacement of the rail clips can occur owing to contact with trackmaintenance equipment, etc. Both these problems are caused by the heightof the assembly which is at its greatest at part of the clip, since theclip must have a pronounced arch in the fourth portion of the clip toallow it to clear the shoulder during installation.

With a view to strengthening the baseplate the applicants herein proposethat the tunnel height is reduced, thereby allowing the thickness ofmaterial above the tunnel to be increased without increasing the overallheight of the shoulder. Such a reduction in tunnel height mayalternatively permit a small but significant overall reduction in theheight of the shoulder. Reducing the height of the tunnel also allowsthe inclination of the tunnel side walls (which inclination is providedto aid manufacture) to be reduced, which in turn decreases the width ofthe tunnel at its foot, and thereby increases the bearing area and thestrength of the baseplate around the tunnel. The plate's stiffness inbending is also increased so that the distribution of load across itswidth is improved.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provideda railway rail fastening clip made from a rod of resilient material bentso as to have, proceeding from one end of the rod to the other, a firstsubstantially straight portion for locating the clip in a clip anchoringdevice when the clip is in use, then a second bent portion, then a thirdportion, then a fourth bent portion and finally a fifth portion, thesaid second portion being bent substantially along its entire length,and one of the said third and fifth portions having a first contactregion which bears against an upper exterior surface portion of the clipanchoring device when the clip is in use and the other of the said thirdand fifth portions having a second contact region which bears against arail adjacent to the said clip anchoring device when the clip is in use,such that, when the clip is in an unstressed condition and is placed inan orientation in which the longitudinal axes of the rod at the firstand second contact regions of the clip lie in a first horizontal plane,the said third and fifth portions of the clip lie on opposite sidesrespectively of said first portion when viewed from directly above orbelow said first horizontal plane, wherein, when the unstressed clip isplaced in an orientation in which respective lowermost points of thesaid first and fifth portions of the clip lie in a second horizontalplane and is viewed from directly above or below that plane, proceedingfrom the said first portion the said second portion appears no bend outof that second horizontal plane towards and then away from a verticalplane passing through the said fifth portion.

Such a clip is suitable for use with the improved baseplate describedabove. The clip is designed such that the rod works mostly in torsion,which is more efficient.

An embodiment of the clip is preferably such that the longitudinal axisof the fourth portion of the clip lies substantially in or below thesaid first horizontal plane.

Since no part of the centre line of the clip is significantly higherthan the plane containing the centres of the rod at the first and secondcontact regions of the clip the profile of the clip relative to the clipanchoring device is much lower, and the likelihood of clip damage anddisplacement is much reduced.

Such a reduction in clip profile may be achieved by tapering the part ofthe free end of the said first portion of the clip which is uppermostwhen the clip is in use, and/or an upper interior surface of the saidpassageway in the said clip anchoring device if it is a cast plate, suchthat as the clip is installed in the clip anchoring device the firstportion of the clip is driven downwardly, thereby bringing about atleast some deflection of the clip whilst substantially avoiding anytendency for the said fourth portion to be distorted during suchinstallation of the clip in such a way that the lowermost point thereofis caused to lie substantially above the said first horizontal plane.

The applicants believe that, since the centre line of the fourth portionof the clip lies substantially in a horizontal plane when the clip is inuse, the clip may perform better when subjected to the lateral forcescaused by the passage of rail traffic. In particular, on rare occasionsthe arched fourth portion of the "e-clip" can break due to fatigue, asfriction between the clip and the rail is sufficient to prevent sidewaysmovement of the clip under such lateral forces, thereby causing thefourth portion to bow. However, the flat fourth portion of a clipembodying the first aspect of the present invention is stiffer and it isthought that the clip will therefore be able to overcome the frictionwith the rail and will slide rather than bow.

A superficial resemblance to a clip embodying the first aspect of thepresent invention may be considered to exist in the clips described inU.S. Pat. No. 4,350,291 (Dobson), U.S. Pat. No. 718,604 (Eisenberg etal) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,717 (Vanotti). However, none of the clipshas a second portion, proceeding from a straight centre leg, which bendstowards and then away from the fifth portion of the clip. Moreover, eachclip has a pronounced arch between the third and fifth portions of theclip which is such that the centre line of the clip in this region liessignificantly above the first and second contact points. In fact, theVanotti clip has an even higher profile, since between its verticalportion and its first contact point the height of the clip is greaterthan between the first and second contact points.

The first contact of one embodiment of the Eisenberg clip is normal tothe plane of the rear arch, which does generate torsion in the reararch, but this is achieved by designing the baseplate with which theclip is used so as to have a relatively thin, substantially vertical,upstand on top of the shoulder to one side of the passagewaytherethrough. Such an upstand can only be made on a cast plate, which ismuch more expensive than a rolled steel plate. Moreover, a commonly-usedmethod of rail installation, particularly in the U.S., involves using acrane to swing a rail into position above pre-positioned baseplates fromalongside the track. As the rail is flexible and bends along its length,placement of the rail is not very precise and thus such relativelyflimsy upstands would be susceptible to damage and the baseplates likelyto be displaced. The Eisenberg et al assembly is therefore impractical.

The Dobson clip is intended to be used on existing baseplates having notunnels to receive the centre leg of the clip. Instead channels are cutacross the wooden sleepers to receive the clip centre leg, which isgenerally not acceptable since the channel collects water and the woodrots, so the system has not hitherto been generally adopted.

Unlike the afore-mentioned "e-clips" and clips embodying the firstaspect of the present invention, the Vanotti clip is installedvertically and then rotated into a locking position.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provideda railway rail fastening assembly for fastening a railway rail to anunderlying rail foundation, which assembly comprises first and secondrailway rail fastening clips embodying the first aspect of the presentinvention, and a baseplate formed on one major face thereof with a railseat area, on which the said railway rail is sitting, located betweenrespective clip anchoring portions which extend at least partiallyacross the plate, each clip anchoring portion having a passagewaytherethrough through which there extends the said first portion of oneof first and second rail fastening clips, the said first contact regionof each rail fastening clip contacting an upper part of an exteriorsurface of the clip anchoring portion with which that clip is engaged,which upper part is upwardly inclined with respect to the other majorface of the baseplate such that, as the clip is driven into the clipanchoring portion, the first contact region of the clip can slidelaterally up the said upper part until it is brought to rest throughfriction at a height relative to that of the said second contact region,which bears on a flange of the said railway rail, which is such as toensure that the clip exerts a desired load on said rail.

Unlike the baseplate of Eisenberg et al, a baseplate for use in anassembly embodying the second aspect of the present invention does nothave a near-vertical upstand. The baseplate is therefore much lesssusceptible to damage during rail laying, and the baseplate itself neednot be cast but may be made of rolled steel plate.

Desirably, the exterior surface of each clip anchoring portion isdesigned such that it provides a lead-in effect for the rail as it islowered into position. In other words, the shaping of the shoulderspreferably facilitates threading of the rail through the shoulders, insuch a way that the target area in which the rail is placed iseffectively larger and the shoulders themselves help to funnel the railinto the correct location. This shaping may be achieved without using anundesirably large amount of material and without leaving any part of theshoulder protruding dangerously far above the main body of thebaseplate.

For example, the exterior surface of the clip anchoring portion may beshaped such that its cross-section is wedge-shaped, that is such thatproceeding from the rail seat area of the plate it presents a flatupwardly-inclined surface. Preferably, however, the said upper part isconcave, with a radius of curvature of 50. In this case, the remainderof the clip anchoring portion may be substantially flat, and inclinedfor example at an angle of approximately 18° to the other major face ofthe said baseplate.

Alternatively, the baseplate may instead be shaped such that, when thetop of the clip anchoring portion is viewed in a direction parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the said passageway, a lower surface portionthereof appears to approximate to a convex curve and an upper surfaceportion thereof appears to approximate to a concave curve. In this casethe said upper part may comprise a substantially flat surface, which ispreferably inclined at an angle of 37° with respect to the said othermajor surface of the said baseplate, the exterior surface of the clipanchoring part being shaped so as to have, proceeding from the rail seatarea, a substantially vertical face, a first upwardly-inclined face, asubstantially horizontal face above the passageway, a secondupwardly-inclined face constituting the said upper part, and adownwardly-inclined, face, the said first upwardly-inclined face and thesaid downwardly-inclined face being inclined respectively at a lesserangle and a greater angle than the second upwardly-inclined face.Preferably, the edge at which the said second upwardly-inclined facejoins said downwardly-inclined face is rounded.

Reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show respective plan, side elevational and rearelevational views of a railway rail fastening clip embodying the firstaspect of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a first baseplate for use with the clip of FIGS. 1 to 3 inan assembly embodying the second aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a first railway rail-fastening assembly embodying thesecond aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows another clip embodying the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a further clip embodying the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a second baseplate for use in an assembly embodying thesecond aspect of the present invention;

FIGS. 9 and 10 show respective clips embodying the first aspect of thepresent invention in an assembly embodying the second aspect of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 11 shows yet another clip embodying the present invention.

The rail clip 1 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is made by bending a rod ofresilient material, which is, in this case, circular in cross-section(for example a steel rod), so as to have, proceeding from one end A ofthe rod to the other end B, a straight first centre portion 11, a secondportion 12 bent through substantially 180°, a substantially straightthird portion 13, a fourth portion 14 which is bent throughsubstantially 180° and a straight fifth portion 15. The third portion 13has a first contact region 13' and the fifth portion 15 has a secondcontact region 15'.

The centre portion 11 is used for locating the clip in a clip anchoringdevice (for example the base plate shown in FIG. 4), when the clip is inuse. The portion 12 forms a rear portion, and the fourth portion 14forms a front portion. When viewed in plan, as in FIG. 1, the centreportion 11 does not extend beyond the front portion 14 and the fifthportion 15 does not extend beyond the rear portion 12.

When the clip 1 is placed in an orientation such that the longitudinalaxes of the clip at the first and second contact regions 13', 15' lie ina first horizontal plane X and the clip is viewed from directly above orbelow, the centre portion 11 appears to lie between the third and fifthportions 13, 15.

When the clip is placed in an orientation such that the lowermost pointsof the centre and fifth portions 11 and 15 are in a second horizontalplane Y, the rear portion 12, proceeding from the centre portion 11,appears to curve out of that horizontal plane Y towards and then awayfrom a vertical plane Z passing through the longitudinal axis of thefifth portion 15.

When made from a rod 19 mm thick, the clip is, for example, 114 mm and79 mm at its longest and widest parts respectively, and 71 mm high atits highest point. The fifth portion extends approximately halfway alongthe clip 1. The angle α in FIG. 1 is approximately 28°, and the anglesβ, γ, δ in FIG. 3 are approximately 53°, 53° and 45° respectively.

The rail clip 1 is used in combination with a clip anchoring device. Anexample of a suitable anchoring device is a baseplate 2 shown in FIG. 4which comprises a substantially rectangular base section 20 on whichthere are formed a pair of shoulders 21, 21' having respective tunnels22, 22' formed therein, on either side of a rail seat area 23. The railseat area 23 has a slight cant, in this case about 1 in 40, so as toincline the rail. The baseplate 2 is asymmetric with respect to a centreline through the rail seat area 23 such that the "field" side 24' of thebaseplate 2, which is on the outside of the track when the plate is inuse, extends further beyond the neighbouring shoulder 21' than does the"gauge" side 24, in view of the different loading experienced across thetrack. The baseplate 2 is secured to an underlying railway sleeper ortie when in use by means of screwspikes (not shown) inserted throughholes 25 (round in this example, but they could be square if lockspikesare used instead of screwspikes) provided through the plate 2 in theouter "field" and "gauge" regions 24', 24 thereof. The edges of the"field" and "gauge" regions 24', 24 are flat so that the screwspikesbear evenly. The baseplate 2 is provided on its lower major face withrespective optional ribs 26, extending across the plate beneath the railseat area 23 parallel to the shoulders 21, for preventing lateralmovement of the plate 2.

The baseplate 2 is a rolled steel plate in which the shoulders 21, 21'and tunnels 22, 22' run parallel to the shorter sides of the plate 2 andhave been formed by deforming the plate appropriately. The roof of eachtunnel 22, 22' is curved. The profile of the exterior surface of eachshoulder 21, 21' is such that, proceeding from the rail seat area 23,each shoulder 21, 21' has a substantially vertical side face 21a, anupwardly sloping inner face 21b, a substantially horizontal platform 21cabove the tunnel 22, 22' another upwardly sloping inner face 21d whichis more steeply inclined than the sloping face 21b, a rounded summit21e, and a downwardly sloping steep outer face 21f. In the exampleshown, the face 21b slopes at an angle of 19° to the horizontal, whereasthe slope on the face 21d is 37° and that on the face 21f is 80°.

In this example, the base section 20 of the plate 2 is 200 mm by 444 mm,the plate being 12 mm thick at the outer regions 24 thereof. The holes25 are 25.4 mm in diameter and their centres are located 25.4 mm fromthe shorter and longer sides of the plate 2. The rail seat area 23 is154 mm wide, its centre line being 191 mm from one of the shorter edgesof the plate and 253 mm from the other. The centre of the tunnel 22 inone shoulder 21 is 84 mm from the nearest shorter edge and this tunnel22 is 23 mm high and 24 mm wide at its foot. The centre of the tunnel22' in the other shoulder 21' is 146 mm from the nearest shorter edgeand this tunnel is 28 mm high and 29 mm wide at its foot. The centre ofeach tunnel 22, 22' is 30 mm from the respective nearest edges of therail seat area 23, and the roof of each tunnel 22, 22' has a radius ofcurvature of 10.5. The platform 21c of each shoulder 21, 21' is 14 mmabove the roof of the tunnel 22, 22'. The side walls of the tunnel slopeat an angle of 3° to the vertical. Each shoulder 21, 21' has anapproximately vertical face 21a of height 12 mm, a first inclined face21b of length 25 mm, a platform 21c of length 12 mm, a second inclinedface 21d of length 22 mm, a rounded summit 21e having a radius ofcurvature of 4, and a downwardly-inclined face 21f of length 30 mm. Themaximum heights of the shoulders 21, 21' at the rounded summits 21e are50 mm and 55 mm respectively.

In contrast the prior art Pandrol baseplate described above, when alsomade of plate of thickness 12 mm, has tunnel heights of 35 mm and 30 mmrespectively, side walls inclined at angles in the range from 11.5° to15.5° to the vertical and tunnel foot widths of 47 mm and 44 mmrespectively.

FIG. 5 shows part of the baseplate 2 having a rail clip 1 installed inone of its shoulders 21. In installation the clip 1 is brought up to theentrance of the tunnel 22 or 22' such that the centre portion 11 isupwardly-inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tunnel.As the centre portion 11 of the clip 1 is driven into the tunnel 22 or22' by striking the rear portion 12 or pulling the front portion 14,either manually or possibly using automatic clip driving equipment, thecentre portion 11 moves downwards, deflecting the clip 1.

As the clip 1 is driven the third portion 13 slides sideways (in thedirection of arrow S in FIG. 5). The sloping inner face 21d of theshoulder 21 acts as a stop for resisting such lateral movement of theclip 1 as it is driven into the shoulder 21. The third portion 13 of theclip therefore slides laterally up the sloping inner face 21d until itis brought to rest through friction at a height relative to that of thesecond contact region 15', which has come no bear on the flange 30 ofthe rail 3, such as to ensure that the clip 1 exerts the desired "toe"load on the rail 3 to retain the rail 3 in position. The angle ofinclination of the sloping inner face 21d is therefore determined, atleast to a large extent, by the characteristics of the clip with whichit is to be used, including the toe load the clip is intended to impart.The contact between the clip 1 at the first contact region 13' and thesloping inner face 21d is such that the clip 1 remains in stableequilibrium, delivering its full toe load on the rail, withoutgenerating large forces at the first contact point which give rise toexcessive wear of the shoulder 21. The shape of the top surface of theshoulder serves to provide a single normal contact point, so that theclip bears perpendicularly on this top surface, thereby reducing bendingin the rear portion 12 and increasing the torsion in the third portion13.

The shape of the rear portion 12, towards and away from the fifthportion 15, serves to ensure that the third portion 13 experiences apredominantly torsional load when the clip is in use, thereby increasingthe efficiency of the clip.

Instead of the clip 1 of FIGS. 1 to 3, a clip 1', shown in FIG. 6, whichis formed so as to be the mirror image of the clip 1, may be used.Another clip 1", shown in FIG. 7, is similar to the mirror image clip1', bun has a less curved fourth portion

Any of the clips 1, 1' or 1" may be used with a baseplate 2 such asshown in FIG. 4, or with a modified baseplate 2' such as shown in FIG.8. FIG. 9 shows part of the baseplate 2' in which a clip 1 has beeninstalled to hold down the rail 3, whereas FIG. 10 shows part of thebaseplate 2' in which a clip 1' has been installed to hold down the rail3.

The baseplate 2' differs from the baseplate 2 in that instead of theangled surfaces 21b, 21c and 21d of the upper surface of each shoulder21, 21', the upper surface is formed so as to have an upwardly inclinedsurface 21g which is substantially flat except at an upper part 21g',adjacent to the summit 21e of the shoulder 21, 21', where it is concave.In a baseplate 2', similar in all other respects and dimensions to thebaseplate 2 described above, the upper part 21g' has a radius ofcurvature of 50, the rounded summit 21e has a radius of curvature of 8,and the remainder of the upper surface 21g is inclined at an angle of17.6° to the face 20 of the baseplate 2'.

An assembly embodying the present invention has a lower profile,typically by about 10 mm, when viewed parallel to the axis of the rail,than the previously-used assembly. This means that the clips are lesslikely to be displaced or knocked by track maintenance equipment or byitems trailing from vehicles. Also, the clips and plates embodying thepresent invention are less likely to be damaged by derailed wheelsbecause the assembly height in the area where derailed wheels mostcommonly run is considerably lower than in previously-proposed designsand because the plate is considerably stronger.

Although it may be more expensive to manufacture, achievement of a lowprofile clip may be assisted by tapering the free end of the centreportion, as shown in FIG. 11, so as to cause some of the required clipdeflection to be generated by driving the centre leg downwards, ratherthan driving the third or fifth portions 13, 15 upwards, therebyavoiding the distortion of the curved front portion 14 which such upwardmovement of the third or fifth portions 13, 15 can cause. Alternatively,the centre portion 11 can be driven downwards when it is inserted intothe tunnel 22 of a cast base plate 2 by tapering the roof of the tunnel22 (not shown).

We claim:
 1. A railway rail fastening clip (1, 1', 1") made from a rodof resilient material bent so as to have, proceeding from one end of therod to the other, a first substantially straight portion (11) forlocating the clip (1, 1', 1") in a clip anchoring device (2, 2') whenthe clip (1, 1', 1") is in use, then a second bent portion (12), then athird portion (13), then a fourth bent portion (14) and finally a fifthportion (15), the said second portion (12) being bent substantiallyalong its entire length, and one of the said third and fifth portions(13, 15) having a first contact region (13', 15') which bears against anupper exterior surface portion of the clip anchoring device (2, 2') whenthe clip (1, 1', 1") is in use and the other of the said third and fifthportions (13, 15) having a second contact region (13', 15') which bearsagainst a rail (3) adjacent to the said clip anchoring device (2, 2')when the clip (1, 1', 1") is in use, such that, when the clip (1, 1',1") is in an unstressed condition and is placed in an orientation inwhich the longitudinal axes of the rod at the first and second contactregions (13', 15') of the clip (1, 1', 1") lie in a first horizontalplane (X), the said third and fifth portions (13, 15) of the clip (1,1', 1") lie on opposite sides respectively of said first portion (11)when viewed from directly above or below said first horizontal plane(X), wherein, when the unstressed clip (1, 1', 1") is placed in anorientation in which respective lowermost points of the said first andfifth portions (11, 15) of the clip (1, 1', 1") lie in a secondhorizontal plane (Y) and is viewed from directly above or below thatplane, proceeding from the said first portion (11) the said secondportion (12) appears to bend out of that second horizontal plane (Y)towards and then away from a vertical plane (Z) passing through the saidfifth portion (15).
 2. A clip as claimed in claim 1, wherein thelongitudinal axis of the fourth portion (14) of the clip (1, 1', 1")lies substantially in or below the said first horizontal plane.
 3. Aclip as claimed in claim 2 in combination with a clip anchoring device(2, 2') secured to a rail foundation and having a passageway therein forreceiving the said first portion of the clip (1, 1', 1"), wherein a partof a free end of the said first portion (11) of the clip (1, 1', 1")which is uppermost when the clip (1, 1', 1") is in use, and/or an upperinterior surface of the said passageway in the said clip anchoringdevice (2, 2'), is/are tapered such that as the clip (1, 1', 1") isinstalled in the clip anchoring device (2, 2') the first portion (11) ofthe clip (1, 1', 1") is driven downwardly, thereby bringing about atleast some deflection of the clip (1, 1', 1") whilst substantiallyavoiding any tendency for the said fourth portion (14) to be distortedduring such installation of the clip (1, 1', 1") in such a way that alowermost point thereof is caused to lie substantially above the saidfirst horizontal plane.
 4. A railway rail fastening assembly forfastening a railway rail (3) to an underlying rail foundation, whichassembly comprises first and second railway rail fastening clips (1, 1',1"), and a baseplate (2, 2') formed on one major face thereof with arail seat area (23), on which the said railway rail (3) is sitting,located between respective clip anchoring portions (21, 21') whichextend at least partially across the plate;wherein each of the first andsecond railway rail fastening clips (1, 1', 1") is made from a rod ofresilient material bent so as to have, proceeding from one end of therod to the other, a first substantially straight portion (11), then asecond bent portion (12), then a third portion (13), then a fourth bentportion (14) and finally a fifth portion (15), the said second portion(12) being bent substantially along its entire length, and one of thesaid third and fifth portions (13, 15) having a first contact region(13', 15') and the other of the said third and fifth portions (13, 15)having a second contact region (13', 15'), the portions of each clipbeing arranged such that, when the clip (1, 1', 1") is in an unstressedcondition and is placed in an orientation in which the longitudinal axesof the rod at the first and second contact regions (13', 15') of theclip (1, 1', 1") lie in a first horizontal plane (X), the said third andfifth portions (13, 15) of the clip (1, 1', 1") lie on opposite sidesrespectively of said first portion (11) when viewed from directly aboveor below said first horizontal plane (X), and, when the unstressed clip(1, 1', 1") is placed in an orientation in which respective lowermostpoints of the said first and fifth portions (11, 15) of the clip (1, 1',1") lie in a second horizontal plane (Y) and is viewed from directlyabove or below that plane, proceeding from the said first portion (11)the said second portion (Y) appears to bend out of that secondhorizontal plane (Y) towards and then away from a vertical plane (Z)passing through the said fifth portion (15); and wherein each said clipanchoring portion (21, 21') has a passageway (22, 22') therethroughthrough which there extends the said first portion (11) of one of thesaid first and second rail fastening clips (1, 1', 1"), the said firstcontact region (13', 15') of each rail fastening clip (1, 1', 1")contacting an upper part (21d; 21g') of an exterior surface of the clipanchoring portion (21, 21') with which that clip (1, 1', 1") is engaged,which upper part (21d; 21g') is upwardly inclined with respect toanother major face (20) of the baseplate (2, 2') such that, as the clip(1, 1',1") is driven into the clip anchoring portion (21, 21'), thefirst contact region (13', 15') of the clip (1, 1', 1") can slidelaterally up the said upper part (21d; 21g') until it is brought to restthrough friction at a height relative to that of the said second contactregion (13', 15'), which bears on a flange of the said railway rail (3),which is such as to ensure that the clip (1, 1', 1") exerts a desiredload on said rail (3).
 5. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein thesaid upper part (21d) comprises a substantially flat surface.
 6. Anassembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein the flat surface is inclined atan angle of 37° with respect to the said other major face (20) of thebaseplate (2, 2').
 7. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein thesaid upper part (21g) is concave.
 8. An assembly as claimed in claim 7,wherein a remainder of the exterior surface of the said clip anchoringportion (21, 21') is substantially flat.
 9. An assembly as claimed inclaim 8, wherein the flat portion (21g) of the said exterior surface isinclined at an angle of approximately 18° to said other major face (20)of the baseplate (2, 2').
 10. An assembly as claimed in claim 4, whereinthe exterior surface of the clip anchoring portion (21, 21') is shapedsuch that, when the top of the clip anchoring portion (21, 21') isviewed in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the saidpassageway (22, 22'), a lower surface portion (21b, 21c) thereof appearsto approximate to a convex curve and an upper surface portion (21c, 21d)thereof appears to approximate to a concave curve.
 11. An assembly asclaimed in claim 4, wherein the exterior surface of the clip anchoringportion (21, 21') is shaped so as to have, proceeding from the rail seatarea (23), a substantially vertical face (21a), a firstupwardly-inclined face (21b), a substantially horizontal face (21c)above the passageway (22, 22'), a second upwardly-inclined face (21d)constituting the said upper part, and a downwardly-inclined face (21f),the said first upwardly-inclined face (21b) and the saiddownwardly-inclined face (21f) being inclined respectively at a lesserangle and a greater angle than the second upwardly-inclined face (21d).12. An assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the edge (21e) at whichthe said second upwardly-inclined face (21d) joins saiddownwardly-inclined face (21f) is rounded.
 13. An assembly as claimed inclaim 4, wherein the longitudinal axis of the fourth portion (14) ofeach of the first and second railway rail fastening clips (1, 1', 1")lies substantially in or below the said first horizontal plane.
 14. Anassembly as claimed in claim 4, a part of a free end of the said firstportion (11) of each of the first and second railway rail fasteningclips (1, 1', 1") which is uppermost when the clip (1, 1', 1") is inuse, and/or an upper interior surface of the said passageway in each ofthe said clip anchoring portions (21, 21'), is/are tapered such that asthe clip (1, 1', 1") is installed in the clip anchoring portion (21,21') the first portion (11) of the clip (1, 1', 1") is drivendownwardly, thereby bringing about at least some deflection of the clip(1, 1', 1") whilst substantially avoiding any tendency for the saidfourth portion (14) to be distorted during such installation of the clip(1, 1', 1") in such a way that a lowermost point thereof is caused tolie substantially above the said first horizontal plane.